Wanted: Tourists who thought it was OK to deface ancient petroglyphs

Local and federal agencies are seeking information on two people who were observed and photographed defacing ancient petroglyphs at a cultural site in Kane County, Utah.

The Bureau of Land Management has offered a $1,000 reward as authorities investigate the incident that occurred Saturday near the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, a remote area near the Utah-Arizona border, KSL TV reported.

“Investigators are currently looking for the persons pictured in the attached photos for questioning,” the Kane County Sheriff’s Office stated on Facebook on Sunday.

“On November 23, 2024, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office received a report that the individuals in the photos…were observed defacing ancient petroglyphs.”

One of the persons appear to be carving something into the canyon wall.

From KSL TV:

Buckskin Gulch features about 16 miles of “unique formations and undulating sandstone walls” within the northwest boundary of the scenic Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, as noted by the Bureau of Land Management.

Many centuries ago, Native Americans carved “bighorn sheep, snakes and other symbols” into the canyon walls there, as noted by Geotimes, which featured the area in 2004. These petroglyphs are why the area is a protected cultural site.

Bureau officials on Monday began offering a reward for information leading to a “successful prosecution” in the case.

Anyone with information about the incident or the two people photographed is encouraged to call the Kane County Sheriff’s Office at 435-644-2668 or the BLM at either 435-644-1215 or 435-690-9573.

Harry Barber, District Manager for the Paria River District, told KUTV that this vandalism behavior is not normal.

“This is unique and I do want to point that out,” he said to KUTV. “The area where this happened in Wire Pass is a popular area. These people were writing their names on the panel, whatever, and members of the public actually went to them and told them ‘Hey, you shouldn’t be doing this’ and these individuals blew them off and basically ignored those members of the public.”